Honors Program

Course Information

Program Overview

Housed in the new, state-of-the-art Tsotsis Family Academic Center featuring study spaces, a lounge and spaces for collaboration, Assumption’s Honors Program offers a demanding, intensive curriculum designed to foster academic engagement inside and outside the classroom. Whether you are majoring in the liberal arts, business, or professional studies such as education or human services and rehabilitation studies, the Honors Program enables you to challenge yourself and explore your capabilities with similarly motivated students. We encourage Honors students to select courses and projects that reflect their individual interests and to connect their classroom studies with experiences in the community.

Outstanding accepted students who have demonstrated academic excellence in standardized test scores, rank in class, engagement inside and outside the classroom, and a passion for learning are invited to apply to the program. Students with an outstanding first semester may also apply to join the program at the beginning of the sophomore year.

The Honors Program reflects the mission of the college by providing a curriculum that offers a high quality liberal education, in-depth disciplinary and professional training, opportunities to contribute to the community, and a basis for a meaningful personal, professional, spiritual, family, and civic life. It presents opportunities for students to explore connections among their courses, and also between their courses and life. The program promotes intellectual friendship and discourse while providing a common, intensive learning experience inside and outside the classroom.

The Honors Program Advantage

The honors program is designed to help students:

Cultivate independent thinking and learning

Learn to interpret and evaluate information from a variety of perspectives

Engage actively with various academic disciplines

Develop and refine the qualities of leadership and service

Carry out in-depth independent study

There are Honors courses in virtually every academic area at Assumption, making it easy for you to choose your electives.

Honors Program Qualifications

We invite qualified high school students, students with an outstanding first semester at Assumption, and transfer students to apply for the Honors Program. Qualifications for each category of student are as follows:

High School students

Standardized test scores

Rank in class

Engagement inside and outside the classroom

Demonstrated passion for learning

Current Assumption students

Students who have achieved a GPA of 3.5 in their first semester may be invited to apply for the Spring semester or the beginning of their sophomore year.

Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25 in Honors courses, and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25.

Transfer Students

Transfer students may apply to the honors program at time of admission by submitting a transcript and writing a required essay.

Degree Requirements

Following, please find information with regard to the Honors Program requirements:

First Year: An Honors COMPASS linkage (2 courses) in the fall; recommended continued in the spring (2 courses)

Sophomore Year: Elective, any course with an honors designation

Junior Year: HON 300 Honors Seminar

Senior Year: HON 444 Honors Capstone Thesis

If first year linkage not continued in spring, two other courses with an Honors designation.

Honors Program Certificate Requirements

To earn an Honors Program Certificate a student must complete the seven courses described above as part of the Honors Program. Students are required to maintain a minimum GPA in those courses of 3.25 and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25. In addition, students are required to defend their honors thesis to a committee of at least three faculty members. First-year students receiving a 3.5 GPA in the fall semester are invited to apply to the Honors Program and may join the program during their sophomore year.

HON100 Life Stories

Life Stories explores the interconnectedness of human experience across time and place.

Life Stories uses personal narratives and biographies to study the relationship between reflection and action

Coursework focuses on the challenges individuals faced, the choices they made, and how those choices shaped and defined their lives.

Studying life stories prompts contemplation of how we make choices, the connections between what we believe and what we do, and how we can build meaningful lives.

This course introduces students to honors-level reading, writing, and discussion.

Three credits

HON300 Honors Seminar

(Offered during both the Spring and Fall semester)

The honors seminar will focus on a question or theme of interdisciplinary interest and significance.

This seminar will involve substantial reading, discussion, research, and writing.

Each student will identify and develop a project topic that reflects his/her own academic interests.

An important goal of this course is to foster an understanding of different ways of knowing and learning – including one’s own – as a basis for personal growth and education. A second goal of this course is to prepare a proposal for the Honors Capstone.

Three credits

HON444 Honors Capstone

(Offered during both the Spring and Fall semesters):

In the Honors Capstone, each student will produce an independent research thesis or creative project.

The capstone work may entail a faculty-student research project or an internship or independent study directed by a faculty member.

The project was proposed and approved during the Honors Seminar.

A summary of the capstone work will be presented at the Honors Colloquium at the end of the semester.